The HBS Association of Germany is a non-profit organization formed in 1997 to support the goals of The Harvard Business School and organize activities for HBS Alumni in Germany.

The Association aims to:

Encourage networking among members of the HBS community, both nationally and internationally

Support fundraising activities for HBS

Increase awareness of HBS in Germany and encourage more applicants for HBS management education programs

Provide information and advice to potential applicants on the benefits of HBS programs

Encourage voluntary community activities by HBS alumni

The first major initiative of the Association was to organize the highly successful HBS Global Leadership Forum in Berlin in 2000. Since then the Association has organized smaller events, combining interesting guest speakers with the chance to network & meet friends in an informal atmosphere. The "kids for free" initiative introduced as part of the Kitzbühel event in 2005 has proven to be a runaway success, making it easier for alumni with family to participate. Increasing participation is an important goal of the Association. Our focus is on a smaller number of events which are attractive to members from all over Germany. This is complementary to regional events organized by local Harvard Clubs in Rhein-Main, Rhein-Ruhr, Berlin and Munich.

Membership numbers have grown steadily over time to the current figure of over 250. This reflects both a growing interest in Germany in management education programs offered by HBS and increasing interest among HBS Alumni in Germany in networking.

To facilitate HBS fundraising, the Association set up the Harvard Business School Foundation of Germany. Donations made to HBS via the Foundation by those living in Germany can be offset against taxes.